The UK is currently the largest market for digital advertisement spending in Europe, with marketers expected to spend more than double the amount in digital channels and strategies than in any traditional form of media, according to a global report by eMarketer. Whether it is in customer acquisition using social media channels or by launching targeted marketing using automated customer emails, e-commerce and digitalisation will continue to impact the way businesses operate and consumers make their purchasing decisions for decades to come. In fact, by 2021 e-commerce is predicted to be responsible for over $4.5 trillion in sales and an increasing number of businesses will expand their marketing budget with the aim of concentrating on their online presence. However, interacting with customers online also means securing and exchanging personal data in the digital world. As GDPR regulations settle in, the need for customer data protection online has never been clearer, or more needed.

The Need For
Data Protection In The Digital Age

Having an online
presence comes with both benefits and drawbacks. While an online presence widens
the customer base for businesses and extends its marketing reach, it also
leaves a business and consumers vulnerable to data and identity theft. In fact,
consumer trust is now much more than the reliability of a brand; it has come to
include a customer’s assurance that a company can be trusted to handle their
personal data well. Recent years has seen some of the largest brands in the
digital atmosphere become subject to some of the unexpected data breaches and
left users of the brand or platform exposed and worried about the misuse of
information such as their payment details and personal information.

In 2018, the Global Survey on Internet Security and Trust highlighted the trust barriers that exist for e-commerce companies. Around 22 percent of users avoid using the internet to shop due to their distrust while almost 75 percent continue to worry about internet companies when it comes to internet security. Thanks to these increasing concerns, the burden is now on those businesses with an e-commerce platform to combat these perceptions and assure customers their data is handled with care and importance.

Educate Your
Customers When Signing Up For Communications

Data protection is everyone’s responsibility, businesses and customers included. Informing your customers about the importance of taking safety measures when shopping online (and possible measures they can take), shows your business is conscious about protecting your customer and you are also contributing to the education of society in online safety, as a participant of society. Ensure full transparency with your customers on your data collection policies and its storage and don’t forget to train company employees onthe best ways to handle confidential data.

Invest In
Encryption Software

Setting aside a part of your budget to invest in encryption software is also another way to protect data secured online. Start by encrypting passwords on customer accounts and credit card authentication codes. Additionally, be sure to stay up to date with any security and encryption software you do choose to install. Similarly, UK consumers can freely install encryption softwareto block their sensitive information when browsing online such as their location or IP address. Thanks to acts such as The Investigatory Powers Act 2016, the UK has propelled the increased usage of such network encryption software such as VPNs amongst consumers.

Outsource Your
Data Handling To Specialists

There is much
debate about the outsourcing of data handling tasks to specialists firms,
especially for those firms focused on cost reduction. However, by opting to use
contractors that are specifically trained in data collection, storage or even
online marketing, you can be assured that they are trained with the pitfalls of
their jobs in mind. Therefore, you can rest assured that both the company and
its employees will be armed with the right tools and skill set to anticipate
risks and correct missteps. Third party payment or data storage firms come with
specifically trained employees and software to protect such sensitive data.

Boost Online
Payment Pages With SSL

Another way to
protect customers and boost their trust in your e-commerce platform is to
include an SSL certificate specifically on pages that require customers to
enter sensitive information such as payment details or addresses. Secure Socket
Layer is now a standard security protocol so it is easily accessible but can
also be highly effective. It provides a level of authentication which means
both you and your customer can be confident they are transmitting their
information to the genuine party and not an impostor. With an SSL certificate,
any data passed between you and them is encrypted to anyone else that may
attempt to hack the connection.

The increasing shift to life in a digital world has meant that both businesses and consumers now have to take additional precautions to protect themselves and their consumers from unseen threats. This applies to internet companies in particular as they attempt to mitigate the drawbacks that come with their virtual operation. While the need is increasing, it is a need that can be satiated.